This guest post is part of our New Year, New Approach feature to kick off 2011 with a renewed passion for healthy eating.

As our blog series has focused primarily on a positive and mindful approach to eating, this guest post from Fit Bottomed Girls reminds us all of the benefits of  a positive and mindful approach to physical activity. Balancing food choices with daily physical activity helps all foods fit in a healthy lifestyle.

How many of us have spent an entire workout trying to focus on anything but exercising? We watch television, flip through magazines, Tweet, email, even read books -- all while working out. And it makes sense. We're a country of multi-taskers, and it feels good to get two things done at once, such as watching the news and doing 30 minutes on the elliptical. Not to mention that doing something else can make the time go by faster, which therefore can make exercise more enjoyable. But (you knew a but was coming, right?) what if I told you that you could work out, focus on only the movement, de-stress and get a better workout at the same time?

It's true. The practice of being more mindful of your body when you're moving can actually decrease injury because you are more aware of the way that you're moving. It can also result in a better workout because you're more focused on what you're doing and more apt to push yourself -- instead of slowing down your pace on the exercise bike whenever you get to a sad scene in the audiobook you're listening to on your iPod.

Game to try being more mindful in your workouts? Here are three easy ways to try it today!

1. Focus on the muscles you're working. When you run, walk or even lift weights, don't just run through the motions. Instead really focus on the specific muscles you're using in that activity. Feel them tighten and lengthen. Even feel the blood pumping through your body and your lungs taking in more air. The body is a miraculous thing and by paying attention to what parts of your body is being used, your mind-body connection can actually help them work more efficiently, thereby giving you a better workout and making you stronger!

2. Breathe deeply. So often when we lift weights or stretch, we hold our breath. Breathing properly into exercises can help fuel your muscles with the oxygen and energy it needs to perform a movement and it can also help you to relax and go into a stretch farther. As a general rule, you want to breathe in during the hardest part of a movement and exhale during the easiest part. So, in a bicep curl, you inhale on when you curl the weight up, and exhale as you bring it down. When it comes to stretching, try to stretch a little farther with each exhalation.

3. Get quiet in nature. Whenever you can, skip the gym and head outside sans MP3 player. Go for a run or walk and do nothing but be present in the moment. Try not to focus on what's left on your to-do list for the day or worry about your kids' grades -- just be. Look at the beauty around you and quiet your thoughts. Doing this is actually a form of moving meditation that can be just as powerful if not more so than traditional seated meditation.

How mindful are you in your workouts?

By Jennipher Walters, Co-founder of Fit Bottomed Girls and Fit Bottomed Babies

Jenn is a certified personal trainer, a lifestyle and weight management consultant and a group exercise instructor. http://fitbottomedgirls.com/ & http://fitbottomedbabies.com/

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Photo Credit: lululemon athletica, http://www.flickr.com/photos/lululemonathletica/5076462353/